Spiritual giants
I've undertaken a reading regimine which is opening my eyes to tons of stuff I missed in seminary. I'm reading biographies of great preachers and God is teaching me amazing stuff. I recently finished up one about Charles Spurgeon and now I'm reading about George Whitefield. He wrote about his spiritual exercises during Lent when he was 17 yrs old. "I fasted Wednesdays and Fridays.... I attended public worship twice a day...." And later when he was at Oxford he "prayed and sang Psalms three times a day, fasted every Friday and took communion once a month."
After reading this, I resolved to fast dinner tonight (Sunday). Three hours later I found myself watching a CSI NY rerun, drinking a glass of coke and eating a bag of peanut m&ms. :) There are times when I feel my spiritual discipline is completely none existent. I'll try again soon.
The last time I tried a real fast was two years ago. Me and a guy from church were going to fast 23 hrs, lunchtime to lunchtime. You only miss two meals. The night of the fast I got severe pain in my lower abdomen. It mysteriously disappeared the next morning. Later that morning it hit again. Worst pain I've ever felt. I ended up fasting three days in the hospital with a nasty case of kidney stones. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fast, but the memory association is powerful.
Seriously, I'm just getting into the Whitefield biography but I'm already sensing God using this to call me to a much more disciplined life. I sense a season of intense spiritual growth coming. I love that. I feel so alive during those times.
After reading this, I resolved to fast dinner tonight (Sunday). Three hours later I found myself watching a CSI NY rerun, drinking a glass of coke and eating a bag of peanut m&ms. :) There are times when I feel my spiritual discipline is completely none existent. I'll try again soon.
The last time I tried a real fast was two years ago. Me and a guy from church were going to fast 23 hrs, lunchtime to lunchtime. You only miss two meals. The night of the fast I got severe pain in my lower abdomen. It mysteriously disappeared the next morning. Later that morning it hit again. Worst pain I've ever felt. I ended up fasting three days in the hospital with a nasty case of kidney stones. Of course, it had nothing to do with the fast, but the memory association is powerful.
Seriously, I'm just getting into the Whitefield biography but I'm already sensing God using this to call me to a much more disciplined life. I sense a season of intense spiritual growth coming. I love that. I feel so alive during those times.
